Kinked Pushrod – Are Temporary "Fixes" OK?

You discover a kink in your SeeSnake pushrod – now what? Can you continue using it? Can you apply an external “fix” to the cable jacket with a wrap or splint? It’s up to you to weigh the risk vs. benefit of using a camera with a damaged pushrod, and there are definitely risks.

Inside the cable is a fiberglass rod that provides the mechanical connection between you and your camera head. It’s what gives you the ability to push out and – more importantly – retrieve your camera. When the fiberglass rod is flexed beyond its mechanical limit (“minimum bend radius“) the epoxy resin that stiffens the fiberglass strands can crack, causing a loss of stiffness at that point.

If a crack is severe some of the fiberglass strands may be broken. If the crack is partial most of the fiber strands may be intact – but that will change with continued use. Applying a wrap or splint to the cable jacket may increase the apparent stiffness but with consequences:

• Creates a localized region of increased stiffness that decreases the cable’s minimum bend radius at that point, reducing the cable's ability to bend through turns
• Increases the effort required to push the less flexible portion of cable through turns, increasing your odds of kinking the remaining cable
• May catch in the pipe, trapping your camera
• The fiberglass rod will still flex at that point and, over time, the abrasive action of the resin will sever the fiber strands, compromising your ability to pull the camera back

How many times have you seen plumbing “repaired” with duct tape? Would you ever pass that off as a "fix"? We won't either, there are too many risks and the camera won't perform as designed. The ONLY way to permanently repair a kinked pushrod is to cut and re-terminate the cable. Your local service center can do the work or you can call the factory repair center in San Diego, California: +1-858-244-6689